William Cantrell (abt. 1580 - aft. 1625)

Born about 1580 in Bakewell, Derbyshire, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died after 1625 after about age 45 in Jamestown, James City Shire, Colony of Virginia

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[Category The Cantrell Family Project

William Cantrell was the first Cantrell in North America. William arrived from England with Captain John Smith in Jamestown, Virginia on April 20, 1607

Biography

William Cantrell was a Jamestown colonist.

William Cantrell was born around 1580 in Derbyshire, England.

He was the first Cantrell to arrive in North America

He was one of the first adventurers to the New World, landing at Jamestowne, Virginia in 1608.^[1] Jamestowne was settled the previous year, becoming the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Captain John Smith noted that In 1608, "Master Nelson arrived with his lost Phoenix." He also provided a list of new arrivals in a note entitled, "Their names that were landed in this Supply." He listed thirty-two "gentlemen," a list which included "William Cantrell."^[2]

Wlliam Cantrel was among the subscribers to the Second Charter for Virginia, 23 May 1609.^[3]

Among Smith's many duties and interests was Exploration and Discovery , up, down, and around the James River. On 2 Jun 1608, Smith left the fort "to performe his discoveries," with a company of adventurers which included six "gentlemen" (a group which included "William Cantrill"), four soldiers, a blacksmith and two fishermen. The discovery company left "in an open barge of two tunnes burthen, leaving the Phenix at Cape Henry, we crossed the bay to the Easterne Shore and fell with the isles called Smith's Iles." The record of this adventure includes encountering "2 grimme and stout Savages," being taken to meet the "King" of the Werowans, catching more fish than they could cook and eat by stabbing them with their swords, and their captain's near fatal encounter with a stingray.^[4]

This second voyage of discovery took the hardy adventurers into modern-day Delaware, to within five miles of modern-day Pennsylvania, and up the Potomac River ten miles past the current site of Washington DC. From June 2 to July 21, 1608, the company of discovery traversed nearly 1,000 miles.

William Cantrell participated fully in this second discovery and Cantrell's Point on the James River, is named for him.^[5] Although Cantrill's journals have not survived, in his own "Narrative" Smith acknowledges included material having come "From the writings of Captaine Nathaniel Powell, William Cantrill, Sergeant Boothe, Edward Gurganey."^[6]

Marriage

No record as yet has been found of the marriage of William Cantrell. The only mention we have of a wife is in a footnote referring to the birth of Henry, son of William and Mary.^{[citation needed]}

Sources

• https://www.geni.com/people/William-Cantrell-Jr-immigrant-to-Jamestown/6000000000092940408

• https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/GHQ6-M1K/william-cantrell-1580-1619

1. ↑ List of Passengers on the First Supply Research and compilation by Anne Stevens, packrat-pro.com.
2. ↑ Smith, Historie
3. ↑ Hening, William Waller. Statutes at Large; .... Ancient Charters, Page 84
4. ↑ Smith, Narrative, p 141
5. ↑ Smith, Historie, page 126
6. ↑ Smith, Narrative, p 325

• Smith, John, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England & the Summer Isles, Glasgow: James MacLehose and Sons, publishers to the University, New York: Macmillan Company, MCMVII (1907), p. 110, 111, 115, 235
• Smith, John, Narrative of Early Virginia, 1606-1625, Vol. 5, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907, pp. 141, 142, 325
• Bourne, Joel K., Jr. National Geographic, June 2005, pp. 46-49 (Note: Restricted View Source)
• McCartney, Martha W. Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635; A Biographical Dictionary, Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 2007. pp. 185, 186
• Christie, Susan Cantrill. The Cantrill-Cantrell Genealogy: A Record of the Descendants of Richard Cantrill, who was a Resident of Philadelphia Prior to 1689, and of Earlier Cantrills in England and America. New York: The Grafton Press Genealogical Publishers, 1908. pp xix-xx
• Haile, Edward Wright. Jamestown Narratives: Eyewitness Accounts of the Virginia Colony The First Decade: 1607-1617; RoundHouse, Champlain, Virginia, 1998, pp. 268, 861.

See also:

• Gentleman William Cantrell, Jr., The Immigrant
• William Cantrell, Jr. immigrant to Jamestown
• William Cantrell, 1580-1619